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Brief description of site

Since the 19th century the Crown Estate has leased parts of the park for various sports activities and today part is public recreation ground and part leased to private clubs and other organisations.

Brief history of site

The Old Deer Park is a fragment of the land connected to Richmond Palace, named from the hunting park created by James I in 1604. It was an integral part of the royal estate until the mid-19th century when a ha-ha was built between the ornamental gardens at Kew and the parkland to the south. A monastery established in 1414 was later the site of George III's Royal Observatory, built in time to observe the Transit of Venus in 1769 and on the original Meridian Line used before Greenwich became the Prime Meridian in 1884, still marked by a number of obelisks. Capability Brown, royal gardener from 1764, created an Arcadian landscape uniting Kew Gardens, Syon Park and the Old Deer Park.

Location information:

Address:
Kew Road/Twickenham Road, Kew, TW9 1PQ

Locality: Richmond-upon-Thames

Local Authorities:

Greater London; Richmond upon Thames

Historical County:
Surrey

OS Landranger Map Sheet Number:

176

Grid Ref:

TQ171752

Latitude:

51.4637

Longitude:

-0.315716

Directions:

Rail/London Overground/Tube (District): Richmond. Bus: 65, R70, 190

Visitor facilities

Opening contact details:

The public recreation ground is unrestricted. The rest of the site is private.